The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia today launched three animated short films that will help educate the public about: what is family violence in family law cases; how is the voice of the child heard and how does the court process work for parenting cases.
The new films build on the existing online resources developed by the courts in 2021 which focused on how to ‘separate smarter’.
Chief Justice Alstergren AO said the new short films provided information about difficult issues in a way that was easy to understand and would hopefully be a much-needed resource for people involved in family law disputes.
“Family violence in our society is a national disgrace. It has been reported that in the first 32 weeks of 2023, 44 women have been killed by violence,” he said.
“Likewise, court data tells us that in the last financial year, family violence has been alleged in 83 per cent of parenting cases. In 72 per cent of parenting cases, it has been alleged that a child has been abused or was at risk of abuse. It is simply not acceptable.
“Separation can be extremely stressful, and a time of heightened risk. It is important those who engage with the court system know what to expect, and can have confidence the courts take family violence very seriously.
“We want people to feel safe to inform the courts about the violence they have experienced, so judges can make decisions in the best interests of children.”
Representatives from various state Women’s Legal Services and others from the domestic violence advocacy sector provided invaluable input towards the scripts and development of the films, such as the decision to create the films in animation.
The short films are available at www.fcfcoa.gov.au
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